Chapter 6
“What do you mean you can’t? Haven’t you jump to the future before?” Gavin hissed quietly, somewhere to my left.
My limbs and head felt extremely heavy. My brain felt fuzzy like I should be remembering why Gavin seemed so distressed, but it felt like not all my synapses were firing.
I wanted to fall back into a deep slumber like my mind and body wanted to do.
Yet, something was poking at me from the edges of my consciousness as if urging me to be alert.
“Never this far,” Kade admitted. “Ella drew the picture and said we needed to be here to convince Neville to help us find Jemmy and keep him away from Horatio. I figured if he could feel what it was like in the future and not just see it, he’ll believe we were the good guys.”
Through my dazed state I finally discerned someone rubbing their hand over my head, while another hand was soothingly rubbing my back. I sighed in contentment. Somehow, this state of in between felt decadent, like it wasn’t a condition I was accustomed to.
Lincoln deeply sighed. “Maybe this was what Greg meant when he said messing with time had consequences.”
“I’m really sorry guys,” Kade guiltily stated. “I never imagined that this would be the result of my jumping.”
Jaxson made a comforting humming noise. “That’s the thing with our gifts. We don’t know what will work and what won’t. Yeah, this situation sucks, but don’t beat yourself up too much.”
The warm cocoon I was ensconced in felt like it was being violently ripped away from me and I attempted to whimper in protest. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept so soundly, especially since I got pregnant.
It was like I was doused with cold water as reality finally sunk in.
We went to the future. We got captured. With great struggle I was able to crack my eyes open.
I attempted to take in our surroundings.
I immediately frowned. It appeared as if we were in a warehouse of sorts.
There were several dog-like chain link kennels side by side.
There had to be over two hundred people crammed in these twenty-by-twenty spaces.
The dismay that struck me was enough to vanish the last vestiges of grogginess.
There was movement out of the corner of my eye, and I noticed that Drake was pacing along the front of the enclosure. I could see him cataloging and memorizing everything. After discerning his location, I determined to seek out the others.
I noticed Kade and Micah slightly to my right, sitting side by side on the concrete floor with their knees drawn to their chest. Appearance wise they shared very little similarities, however, in mannerisms they shared a lot of traits.
The way they held themselves, gesticulated, and expressions were so eerily reminiscent of each other.
Scanning my surroundings further I saw Neville quietly talking to Gavin and Lincoln while Ella was cradled in Lincoln’s lap.
Ella was vacantly staring into space as Lincoln absently but gently ran his fingers through her long locks.
It surprised me to see that Lincoln’s disguises were gone, whether they were forcibly taken from him or if he intentionally shed them piqued my interest.
The hands that continued to caress me were Jaxson’s and Noah’s.
I realized that my head was cradled in Jaxson’s lap, while Noah had my legs cradled in his.
They had removed their jackets and had them draped over me.
Despite laying on a cold hard surface, I had to admit I was both warm and rested.
I wondered if whatever they had given me made me less aware of my babies’ movements or if I had been that exhausted and drugged that I couldn’t feel it.
Drake stopped and looked over at us. “They must have some kind of technology preventing us from using our gifts.”
His eyes met mine and a myriad of emotions crossed his features. A concerned crease wrinkled his brow as he approached me. He knelt beside me and gently caressed my face. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Soon I was surrounded by the others, and they were helping me sit up.
I rubbed a weary hand over my face and tried not to sink into the hopelessness of the situation.
How in the halibut were we to get out of here without our gifts?
It would be easy to spin out and make the situation worse than it was, but instead I decided to attempt to make light of the situation.
“Like I got the best sleep in weeks. Did anyone ask them what they injected me with so I can shoot it up when I need to sleep in the future—” I paused as my own words sunk in and I laughed.
“The past. The future of our past. What tense should I use in this situation? That is if we can figure out how to get out gifts back.”
Someone across the way snorted. “You won’t be able to use any gifts.
Where have you been living—under a rock?
Emperor Horatio ensured all the gifted not on his side are effected by his halos.
And if I were you, I wouldn’t admit to them that you have a gift if you do.
Also, wouldn’t say anything in front of most of the people here.
Some of them would sell their grandmothers to get themselves out of the situation we’re in. ”
I turned to see a dark-haired man sitting with his back toward us.
He shared a cell with five other people that bore a striking resemblance to each other.
They appeared to be a family, the youngest one no older than nine or ten.
I didn’t even realize I had shuddered with distaste until Jaxson briskly rubbed my upper arms.
I exchanged looks with my prison mates. All of us had a mixture of disbelief, fear, and worry on our faces. Emperor Horatio? Of course, he was behind all this!
I held out both of my hands, determined to stretch my legs.
They felt tight and I knew I needed to stretch before I cramped up.
I frowned realizing it had been too long since I had drunk any water.
I looked around hoping to see any water but inwardly rolled my eyes when I realized I would have to pee if I drank too much.
Since the only thing they seemed to have provided us with was a bucket, I would have to make that a hard pass.
“Can you help me up?”
Noah and Drake helped me up and I groaned feeling the hard stretch in my lower back and upper thighs. I shifted my hips back and forth, hoping to loosen up the tension. I wanted the babies to stay snugly in me for as long as possible, but the discomfort was growing daily.
Noah immediately placed a hand over my belly. “Are you okay? Are the babies?”
I rolled my neck and then my shoulders. I attempted to give him a reassuring smile. “Just a little sore, but we’re fine. I think I was in one position too long.”
I wandered over to the dark-haired man, trusting my instincts. The man seemed to know a lot, and I was hoping to find out as much information as we could. Knowledge was power and all that.
“Emperor Horatio? And what halos? They didn’t have any halos on us when we were captured,” I commented.
“He’s not a real emperor. Just a sarcastic name we came up with the power-hungry demon.
” The man turned his head before his eyes opened.
My brows knitted in confusion as I attempted to remember where I had seen him before.
He was average in height and attractive despite the dark circles under his bright blue eyes.
His hair looked like it was in desperate need of a cut and the facial hair he was sporting didn’t seem to suit him. How I knew that evaded me.
He looked at me with the same look of recognition before his eyes widened. They grew even larger when he saw Lincoln behind me. He scrambled to his feet. “Lincoln Hudgens!” He whispered-yelled. He furtively looked around. “You really shouldn’t be here. You have large price on your head!”
Lincoln stepped up behind me, his arms encircled my waist protectively. The others also joined me as if in silent support. “Officer Perry?” Lincoln hesitantly inquired.
I stifled a gasp finally recalling him. He was the man who could see spirits.
He helped us capture a serial killer that Harry had led us to.
I had every intention of contacting him but not too long after our first meeting I had been abducted.
I felt slightly guilty for not remembering him before now.
I knew he had been interested in learning more about his gift.
I should have had Lincoln, or someone reach out to him.
Officer Perry’s lips twisted wryly. “I’m no longer an officer of the law.
You can just call me Jacob or Perry. I quit my job not to long after Horatio took control of our country.
” He then looked over my shoulder as the others joined us.
His eyes got comically larger once more when he registered the rest of our group.
“Oh shi—Jaxson, Drake, Noah, Kade, Micah, and Max you’re here too!
This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all. ”
“Gavin,” Gavin sullenly corrected.
“You know who we are? But who are you?” Noah asked.
“We met Jacob when we were helping Harry with his night terrors.” I explained to the others before I cleared my throat and looked back at Perry. “Did you ever find out more about your gift?”
His brows knitted before he gave me an ironic look. “I discovered more since everything went to crap than I did in the past. Someone was supposed to contact me and when I finally got ahold of your agent, he thought I was just another crazed fan.”
Lincoln gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry about that. Blake was abducted and then I discovered I was going to be a father,” he fondly rubbed my belly and kissed my temple. “I wasn’t in the right head space and life spun out of control.”